As easy as Braxton Miller and Jake Stoneburner made the backbreaking, 72-yard touchdown pass look at Penn State a week ago, it revealed a play with even more opportunities.

Let’s call it “Shotgun, five wide, choice” to hint at the options available to quarterback Miller as he takes the snap. The Buckeyes have been in that alignment many times this season and probably will use it several times today against Illinois.

But will Miller throw over the top on a deep slant to Stoneburner again? That will depend on the coverage. Penn State had shown a tendency to roll up the defensive backs and go man-to-man in such a situation, third-and-4, because they had to respect the running/scrambling of Miller.

That meant the 6-foot-5 Stoneburner, coming out of the tight slot to the right, was matched against a much-smaller safety. He ran his route, Miller put the pass on the money about 25 yards downfield, and Stoneburner did the rest.

But on the play, which started with three receivers to the left and two to the right, Miller had several choices while operating from an empty backfield. The closest receiver to his left ran a swing route that wasn’t picked up at all by the Nittany Lions. The receiver spread wide left ran a post-corner, on which he also gained a couple of steps on his man.

That’s a lot of waterfront to cover for a defense that, spread sideline to sideline, also must account for the lethal running talents of Miller.